When We Was Rad:
Skateboard History from UK Vintage Magazine

Category: Issue 82 December 1989

  • New Deal Skates Mail Order Advert 1989

    Ouch! Something of a sensitive subject… Here’s an example of an early New Deal Skate advert from the days when the shop was in the “In Shops” near Harrow and Wealdstone station, before they moved to the skatepark. And, yes: they were doing mail order right from the start, although the “HSC” name came later.…

  • Identify Death Box Babies and Win

    We could run this competition for real again, since I have no idea who these smiling babies are. Each of them grew up to have a pro model on Death Box. No doubt Sean Goff was one, but who were the others, please?

  • USA skateboard manufacturers selling direct in the UK?

    Back in 1989 Airbourne Zorlac were premature in setting up their own distribution in the UK (run by the Abrook brothers). Now it’s becoming more and more common. Meanwhile those companies themselves are no-longer necessarily American owned as the skateboard business matures and goes global. Other adverts on this page are from Rodolfos, USAmerican Skates…

  • Pete Dossett, Half-Cab to Mayday at Beast Manor

    Shooting sequences under floodlight = never easy. But worth it sometimes. Party time wasting is so much fun.

  • Lija at Beast Manor

    “Lija gets on with what he wants to get on with. Including competitions sometimes, but not on this occasion” — that was the oblique caption to this full-page picture of a skater who deserved more coverage than he got at this time. They attracted like-minded souls. Visiting vert skaters would beg rides out to the…

  • Big Ramps and Barbecues at Beast Manor

    One of the most fabulous private ramps soared for a while in the home-counties just North of London. A Fallbrook equivalent, perhaps, sessioned by a select group of local initiates and visitors. BARBECUE AT BEAST MANOR Look at the trees in these pictures, look at the leaves. See how they change from green to gold,…

  • Vintage UK skateboard mail order adverts for Christmas 1989

    Billy’s and Off Beat Sportz often appeared on the same page. Both were solid supporters of the skate scene throughout these years, as was Superbike in Ilford. There’s a fascination is seeing these old prices as well as the restrictions imposed on the graphics by the technology of the day. That Superbike advert looks as…

  • Gelfand, Goff and Gonzales: 3 very different skating Gs

    G is also for Gator… Alongside various skate gods of different eras we also find references to Steve Douglas’ “Go For It” zine from the dark ages and (topical note: there was a fuss about a BBC DJ using the word “gay” raging at the time of this post) Gay Twists. GODOY Art & Steve…

  • Rollermania pictured as pirates (by themselves)

    For me this page is all about the Rollermania advert. Other UK shops and distributors often expressed strong views about Tony and Lou’s shop. It was a Bristol cult for many, many years during the dark ages and throughout the revival of skateboarding in the UK. There’s got to be a conscious irony about portraying…

  • Billabong On Edge/ Bad Billy’s Advert 1989

    In years to come Billabong were to have a major impact on the skateboard market, but at this point they were still seen here as a surf company. I cannot remember who was their distributor in the UK at this point and have no idea who paid for this ad.